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Skipping nova rapid if you have low BS and a fairly low carb meal

Type1Bri

Type1Bri

Well-Known Member
Messages
881
Location
Kent
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Dislikes
Highs and lows
Hi All
I have only been diagnosed for 3 weeks
I have grasped carb counting and insulin doses really quickly, mainly because I had been using nutritional info for the past 2 years to lose weight and generally improve my diet.
My DN has put me on basal bolus, with Lantus before bed and nova rapid to offset the carbs as fast acting insulin
I have been using 12 units of lantus before bed each night since I was released from hospital and this had been working well, pre bed and post bed levels within 1.5 mmol/l of each other
However the past 3 days I have been getting some low BS readings and have had 4 hypos in the past 3 days, none of them serious but none the less a little worrying.
The main time seems to be 3 to 4 hours after my breakfast, standard breakfast for me is 30g of frosties or rice krispies, both of which are around 32g of carbs including the milk.
Is it ok to just not take insulin for this meal to stop myself dropping low??

Sorry this is such a long thread but wanted to get all the details down

Look forward to some helpful responses form you guys
 
Hi Type1Bri
I was diagnosed T1 just about two years ago, and I had the same issue with unacceptable lows (just short of hypos) in mid to late mornings. I would say definitely speak to your DN about it. Mine was very helpful, and after a few adjustments, we agreed on changing the ratio for breakfast. I'm on 0.2 unit of Novorapid to 10g carbs for breakfast and 1 unit to 10g carbs for lunch and tea. The breakfast ratio means that most days I take no Novorapid to cover whatever I eat - even up to 60g carbs, depending on my fasting level. It's been like that for at least 18 months. I don't seem to have come to any harm with that, but I would advise speaking with your DN before making any changes, because everyone is different, and you're at a really early stage.

In answer to your other query about not taking Novorapid for really low carb meals, I have done this. Basically, I found that if I had a 10g carb lunch, my meter (Accu-chek Expert) would suggest no rapid insulin, so I don't take any. This means that most days, I just take Novorapid at teatime - not even then if I have no more than 10g carbs, which happened on a couple of days this week. It might have been that I was super sensitive to the Lantus this week, as my blood glucose readings were consistently fairly low despite no Novorapid. I guess this can happen from time to tme!

Anyway, I hope this helps in some way. Good luck with your journey.
 
Your post has been duplicated three times - not your fault, the site is so slow at times you think nothing has happened and press the post button again - something for the site owners to sort out.

I suspect that your low is due to the Frosties (nutritional!!) having done their damage (raised your blood sugars) before the insulin takes effect and by the time the insulin does take effect your BG has already fallen due to the Lantus you are taking and any exercise you may have done.
 
Thanks for the advice
I will call my DN tomorrow, I think my lantus is too high
 
Hi. I only take Bolus for breakfast if I'm away and pigging-out at a hotel etc! Otherwise I skip breakfast Bolus. You might want to consider an alternative to those sugar laden Frosties? I have a small portion of home-made muesli which is just carbs and very little sugar.
 
Thanks for the advice guys
DN has advised dropping my lantus from 12 down to 10 and see how I go
Any good advice on breakfast foods please
 
An Omelette is good, you can add in all sorts of meats and cheese and veg and it's quite filling. All carb free. I go with some yoghurt and raspberries because there's very few carbs in it (assuming you get the right yoghurt)
 
Today was plain yogurt, berries, nuts a bit of pear, around 15-20g carbs

No bolus for me, as I'm out on the bike later for two hours or so. Basal should have been reduced as well, but I had a brain fart this morning and gave my usual dose.

Anything less than 10g I won't bolus for unless it's a correction due to a high BG.
 
Hi Brian.

At your stage, your body is possibly starting to react to the injected insulin by producing more of its own. Mad but true! At that stage, I had to backtrack very quickly on my insulin dose and I didn't need any rapid acting. Unfortunately it doesn't last and gradually I had to increase doses and jab for everything.

Try to sort out the Lantus dose and take Nova only as needed. Keep a close eye on levels and record them so you can be ready to increase your doses as they start to rise when your pancreas reduces its output again.

Smidge
 
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